Join Me In The Pines is a side project of Bell X1’s David Geraghty. He released the single ‘Joy Is A Lion’ earlier this year and has embarked on a nationwide tour while putting finishing touches to the album which is due for release in October.
DAVID Geraghty (aka Join Me in the Pines, aka one part of BellX1) is examining the final proof of his new album’s artwork when Limerick Post called him this week to talk about his upcoming show this weekend. This will be Geraghty’s third solo album, but his first under the moniker Join Me in the Pines. So, why does an already established name in music hide his name behind a new title meaning he will have to reintroduce himself all over again to the public.
Dave says, “I guess it just lends itself more to the imagery in the songs, the songs exist more freely in their own world rather than being anchored to the David Geraghty name. I know it is a challenge, when you are two albums in and then you want to change the name but you have to do what feels right for the songs, I can step outside the project because sit is not my name attached to it. The plan is to move forward and henceforth release music as Join Me in the Pines.”
The artwork has been created by Alan Clarke, an illustrator and artist who has come up with beautiful artwork of a stag in a forest which evokes the developing mood and themes of the new album. As David is a huge fan of vinyl records, he is hugely excited about how the artwork will be represented when Join Me in the Pines goes on release on the larger canvas of a 12” vinyl record sleeve which due to the cohesive nature of the album’s narratives plays very much as a film for David.
Much of the new album was recorded in David’s new studio built at his home, the same studio that was used for making demos for BellX1’s recent ‘Chop Chop’ album. “Demoing the Chop Chop album reassured me and gave me confidence that I could make an album here at home. That was a learning curve for me, not going into an expensive studio with an engineer, working on stuff on my own and making it better and better. “There’s more opportunity for ideas to develop at their own pace rather than under the duress of a ticking clock but at times the process was quite difficult. Yes, I had unlimited time in a studio, but working alone and not having that magical second opinion had me lose sight of where I was going at times. In saying that, the small victories were all the more satisfying and I had good friends who would come into the studio from time to time and help me sort out the wheat from the chaff.”
Having a recording studio on you doorstep brings its own challenges as similar to anyone who has to create a work/life balance when working from home.
“I try to “do a Nick Cave” on it. You get up in the morning and you go to your office, for example, nine to five, and in that window you do what it is you have to do, its important because my home is connected to the studio that I have to switch off at a certain time. It goes hand in hand with being more decisive and being more disciplined.”
‘Joy is a Lion’ is the first single to be taken from the album. A song recorded to sound like it is being played right there in the room with the listener. “Yes, I purposely went for that sound, there is no bass guitar on the song and went for an empty drum sound, so you can really hear the tone of the drums in the room just to get that raw, lo-fi tone.”
That said, that is the most raw sounding song on the whole record, in the next few weeks I’ll be releasing more songs such as ‘Should Not Roam’ and ‘At First Light’ and I’m in the early stages of making videos for these tracks as well. I think of videos as a more interesting and viable way of getting your music out there. Once you upload your videos to YouTube it is up there forever.”
Though Dave played most of the instruments himself on the album, there are other voices and musicians participating in Join Me in the Pines. Clare Finglass, who appeared on Dave’s first two albums, again lends her voice to make one half of the backing vocal duo. The other half being Dave’s Mammy. “Because apart from being amazing, she works for free”, laughs Dave. Dave’s parents met when they joined a band in the 1960’s and Geraghty has for a long time wanted to recognise the influence their generation had on his creativity today. “I think it is cool, an opportunity that future generations can say, There is you great grandmother singing on a record.”
Bell X1’s David Geraghty released his debut solo album ‘Kill Your Darlings’ in 2007 which was nominated for a Choice award that year. 2009 saw Geraghty return with his second solo offering ‘The Victory Dance’. Both of these albums were written and recorded between stints in the BellX1 touring schedule.
Hear tracks from the new record and material from the previous two albums along with some, “cheeky covers” when Join Me In The Pines at Dolans this Friday July 25.
